An internal combustion engine may include an engine block defining a plurality of cylinder bores, a crankshaft rotatably supported in the engine block, and pistons connected to the crankshaft and configured to reciprocate within the cylinder bores. Typically, each piston may include a skirt pivotally connected to the crankshaft, and a crown connected to a distal end of the skirt. A combustion bowl may be formed on an end face of the crown to receive injected fuel, and annular grooves may be formed in an outer surface of the crown to receive associated rings. A cooling passage may be annularly formed inside the crown, between the bowl and the cooling passage, to circulate engine oil that may cool the bowl.
During operation of the engine, fuel and air is combusted inside the cylinder bore (and inside the bowl), to generate heat and pressure that is turned into mechanical work. Over a period of time, hot combustion gases may reach a cylinder liner (of the cylinder bores) and may either evaporate oil, burn the oil, or add soot or fuel to the oil. As a result, liner polish may occur. For example, a portion of the cylinder liner may become polished (or, in other words, the portion of the cylinder liner may correspond to a polish area). Liner polish (or a level of severity of the liner polish) may lead piston damage and/or damage of other components of the internal combustion engine.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20150345421 (hereinafter the '421 publication) is directed to a piston of an internal combustion engine. The piston may include a piston crown with annular grooves, a combustion chamber bowl, and a piston skirt with a pin bore to receive a pin. However, the '421 publication does not disclose monitoring or determining liner polish.